Vegeance
by MyKonstantine
Summary: A year after the war ends, Hermione is captured by Death Eaters and Ron must use his heart to save her.. the only hints he has to follow is the dead bodies. Can he solve the mystery before it's too late? RH with some HG COMPLETE
1. The Path We Walk

Hey, this is my first shot at fan fiction. This story is a romantic drama with a few one liners here and there. Please review! I'd really appreciate any constructive criticism or praise you offer.  
  
Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, nor do I write like her, so I don't own Harry Potter!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 1: The Path We Walk  
  
"ARRGGGGHHH! HERMIONE!" Ron screeched, darting after an infamous ball of orange fur. "How am I supposed to pack anything if Crookshanks keeps nicking my bloody wand?"  
  
Ron hurried over to where the cat frolicked and quickly snatched his wand. Crookshanks leapt after the wand as if it was filled with catnip and clawed into Ron's arm, leaving a thin oozing gash on his forearm. With a swing of his arm, he swung Crookshanks across the room until the tabby came to a skidding stop next to Pig's cage.  
  
"Oh, Ron! Don't scare him! He was just playing!" Hermione scolded, scooping Crookshanks up into her arms. The old, fat cat purred loudly as Hermione scratched behind his ears.  
  
"PLAYING, you say?" Ron held up his arm so that she could see the long red cut to which he was tending. "At least he wasn't trying to eat my owl this time."  
  
Hermione simply ignored him and walked into the other room, placing Crookshanks on the kitchen counter. She had been sharing this flat with Harry and Ron for almost a year, yet they were far from orderly. The rivalry between Ron and Crookshanks continued to cause chaos day after day.  
  
Harry walked out of his bedroom, lugging a large trunk behind him. He walked across the kitchen and clunked the trunk next to Hermione's trunk by the door.  
  
"Why Paris?" Harry sighed. "Why couldn't this damn ceremony be in London like every other Ministry affair?"  
  
"I told you, Harry! This is an international ceremony!" She said, scanning the flat for anything she might have left behind. "The defeat of the Dark Lord was because of international wizarding cooperation, you know." Harry rolled his eyes and nodded.  
  
"What's taking Ron so long to pack anyway?"  
  
As if taking that as a sign of entrance, Ron stumbled through the doorway of his room with his trunk firmly placed on his right shoulder. He saw Harry and Hermione waiting impatiently, and boyishly smiled as to get himself out of a lecture about being on time.  
  
"I'm all packed! I've got everything this time!" He announced as he put his trunk top of Harry's. Hermione gave him a skeptical look.  
  
"I'm serious!" He said, before she even commented. "I'm 18 years old, I can pack my own clothes!" She still continued to look at him quizzically. "Check for yourself, if you must!"  
  
Hermione flipped open the lid out Ron's trunk and peered inside. She shuffled around a bit before pointing her wand toward Ron's bedroom and muttering "Accio Socks!"  
  
Three pairs of socks came zooming into the kitchen. Two landed neatly in Ron's trunk, while the third flew straight into Ron's head. He picked them up and handed them to Hermione. She placed them in his trunk, and gave him a look that clearly said 'I told you so.'  
  
"Incompetent." She mumbled, shutting the trunk once again.  
  
"Know-it-all." He coughed out as he picked it up.  
  
"C'mon guys!" Harry said, ignoring the frustrations between them. "We've got to get to that portkey on time."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny waved frantically as the trio clambered up the steep hill. Harry was first to reach the top. When he reached her, he toppled over, landing on top of his trunk.  
  
"You can stop and breathe. I've already found the portkey." She held up a crushed orange soda can.  
  
"I hate lugging this thing through muggle towns." He said, patting his trunk right where the letters 'HP' were etched into it. "It's every man for himself. I lost track of Ron and Hermione." He looked up at Ginny. "How did you manage?"  
  
"I put a hover charm on my trunk and then threw your invisibility cloak over it." She said, smiling sweetly. "You left it over my house yesterday." A deep red blush fell over her.  
  
Before he could reply, a shrill screech reached their ears. They turned to see Ron running up the hill with two trunks in one arm and Hermione in the other. His muscles bulged and the strain could be seen in his face, but Hermione was thoroughly enjoying herself.  
  
When they finally reached the other two, Harry murmured "Showoff!" Ginny giggled.  
  
"Here's the portkey! Grab on! We have about thirty seconds!"  
  
"Do you think they'll get together this time? Or will they always be this hopeless?" Ginny whispered into Harry's ear.  
  
Ron looked confused by the gaze between his sister and his best friend, but Hermione smiled knowingly and averted Ron's attention to her once again.  
  
"I bet they will." Harry hissed into Ginny's ear. "Paris is the city of romance, after all."  
  
"But this is Ron and Hermione!"  
  
Before they could continue to argue their points, they felt a tight tug at their navels. 


	2. Château Creux

Chapter 2! Yahoo! Now we're getting into the good stuff. I'll try and keep up with the writing, but I have all exams next week. I'd like to thank rose- petal-forever for being my first reviewer! I appreciate it so much!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 2: Château Creux  
  
"Bienvenue au Château Creux!" said the doorman as they entered the Parisian wizards' hotel.  
  
Ron gave the man a confused look and continued to walk towards the main desk. His inability to speak French must have been obvious to the man, because he only smiled in return.  
  
Looking up, Ron stopped stared in wonder with his friends. The entrance lobby was sparkling gold and had a heavenly mural painted on the rounded ceiling. There was a large fountain of a phoenix with water shooting up all around it. There were lush flowers lining a fireplace by the sitting area. Mail zoomed around in all directions freely above them.  
  
"This is marvelous!" Ginny breathed out. "It feels like Hogwarts."  
  
"Except in French!" Ron said excitedly, earning himself an odd look from Hermione. "Well, it's true!"  
  
"He's right. How are we even going to get to our rooms if we can't speak to anybody in this enormous hotel?" Harry said, still staring at the golden phoenix fountain.  
  
Hermione clicked her tongue. "Seeing as I've spent summers in France over the years, you'd expect me to know some of the language, wouldn't you?"  
  
Harry and Ron shrugged. With a strangled cry, Hermione stomped her foot and headed toward the main desk. Ginny shook her head at the boys.  
  
"You've got to give her some credit." She said. "You blokes are pretty incompetent." Ginny hoisted up her trunk and ambled off to join Hermione.  
  
Harry looked at Ron, very confused. "What just happened?" Ron laughed in reply. "I think it's best that we join Ms. Know-it- all and Ms. Know-it-all Jr. before they bite our bloody heads off."  
  
"Réservations pour Potter, Weasley et Granger, si vous plait." Hermione said in brisk French. They spoke for a few more moments before turning away. She handed Harry the key to the room he would share with Ron, and give Ginny the key to their room as she gathered her luggage.  
  
"He said we go to the second floor and we're in the 4th and 5th door to the right."  
  
They put a hover charm on their bags and rushed up the stairs. An amazing rush passed through their bodies. Voldemort was gone. They were alive. They were free. They were being recognized at tonight's ceremony in beautiful Paris, France. Life didn't seem to get any better.  
  
Ron and Harry pushed through the doorway into the most marvelous hotel room they had ever seen. The walls had silver trim that sparkled in the sunshine. There was a patio with a view of the whole city and a bar inside that was fully stocked.  
  
After roaming around for a few seconds, Ron said, "Well, I think it's best that we get ready for the ceremony now."  
  
Just as Ron stripped down to his boxer shorts, Ginny barged in through a door he did not see before. He fell backwards onto the bed, yanking off the comforter and wrapped it his waist with a yell. Harry, who was still shuffling through his trunk when Ginny arrived, watched with a very bemused expression.  
  
"Did you know this was a connecting suite?" She said in a sing- song voice. "I don't remember being told that!"  
  
"Ginny! Do you mind?" Ron said, picking up his pants and shaking them around for her to see. "This is a naked place!"  
  
"We don't mind at all!" said another voice in the doorway. Ron whined. "Hermione! Not you too! We need to get ready!"  
  
Ignoring him, Hermione pointed across the room. "Look, you've got the bar! The hot tub is in our half."  
  
"Hot tub?" Ron burst out with excitedly. His ears began to turn pink as he looked at the odd expressions he was once again receiving.  
  
"This is going to be a long vacation!" Harry laughed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"This is not a time to fear, but to rejoice with the ones we truly love and gain a better understanding of the world in which we live. With the aide of noble wizarding citizens such as those gathered here tonight, nothing would be able to stop us. Thank you." Hermione said to the mirror as she put in her earring.  
  
"That's a lovely speech dear, just lovely." The mirror replied in a motherly voice.  
  
"I agree." A man said from behind her. Hermione looked at the mirror and into the face of her moral support.  
  
"Ron!" she gasped. "I didn't know you were there!" A smile played across her lips as she swirled around in her long black dress. "How do I look?"  
  
Ron stared at her for a moment, his breath slightly hitched, before replying "Smashing. What about me?"  
  
"Very sharp." She said, walking over and straightening his tie.  
  
"I was thinking we should walk down together." He said. "Since I'll be up there while you're giving the speech and all, that is. Harry and Ginny said they would catch up later." He added quickly.  
  
Hermione locked her hand in his and his eyes widened. "Like this?" He gestured to their hands held together.  
  
She smirked warmly. "You're right. People will think.." "Sod them! Let them think!" He said, holding her hand tighter. "I was just making sure you were okay with it!"  
  
She moved toward him and their eyes locked. "Of course I'm okay with it."  
  
With a burning slowness, Ron slowly bent down and put his lips upon hers in their very first kiss. It only lasted a few precious seconds, but neither of them would ever forget.  
  
"I've been waiting to do that for years." Ron whispered into her ear, brushing the hair out of her face.  
  
"Me too." She said. "Me too. But we have to get to the ceremony before it's too late."  
  
Without another word, Ron and Hermione escaped from their hotel room, still holding hands.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Remus Lupin stood in front of a grand assembly of nobles and warriors in the lobby of Château Creux. His eyes sparkled through his worn out appearance and his voice rang throughout the hall.  
  
"Many thanks is owed to a number of citizens, but many more to these next two people. May I introduce Mister Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger."  
  
Ginny watched from the doorway as the couple entered through the side of the stage. They walked gracefully hand in hand to the magical podium.  
  
"She's beautiful." Ginny whispered to Harry, who answered by saying, "You're beautiful."  
  
Ginny kissed him quickly. "Oh, Harry, when will it be right for us to yell it out to the world that we're together?"  
  
"Soon, I say." Harry replied. "I think we should tell your family when we get back from Paris." He looked out into the hall to see the Weasley family all watching their son or brother contently.  
  
Harry gulped loudly. "I wonder what Ron will do."  
  
"Ron won't do a thing! I'll blast him if he tries! Plus, they all love you Harry! Even Ron."  
  
"Thanks what I love about you." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're so strong and true."  
  
Harry leaned in to Ginny's ear and cajoled "How about a quick snog in the nearest closet?"  
  
Ginny turned and slapped him gently. "You prat! Our friends are on stage! What will we do when they ask how they were?"  
  
"We've heard the bloody speech a thousand times! We'll just tell them they did excellent!" There was a spark in Ginny's eye as Harry said this. "I can even quote some lines if it.."  
  
Harry's persuasion was cut off by Ginny's mouth, but he wasn't complaining. They stumbled down the hall a bit, still kissing until they got to the closet. It was locked, but they were wizards after all.  
  
"Alohamora!" Ginny giggled, poking the doorknob with her wand. She flung open the door and pushed Harry into the closet, were he immediately tripped over a large object.  
  
Harry had tripped over a man's body.  
  
"Oh my god!" Ginny cried as Harry turned over the body and revealed the face of Remus Lupin.  
  
"He's not dead, just unconscious." Harry grunted, feeling for a pulse. Then something clicked in Ginny's head.  
  
"Harry, if that's Lupin, then who just introduced Ron and Hermione?" Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"RON! HERMIONE!" Harry yelled, rushing out of the closet with Ginny right on his heels, wands out.  
  
Before either of them reached the lobby where the ceremony was being held, a blood-curdling scream filled the air.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: There's nothing like a nice cliffhanger! Do you like it? Does it intrigue you?  
  
REVIEW!  
  
Please? I'll give you a cookie! 


	3. Hidden Capture

This chapter is brought to you in part by a snow day! I'm a junior in high school with no life, so here's another chapter! I'm glad that rose-petal- forever and Zille were crazy about my little cliffhanger, but now you get to figure out what happens next. Dun dun dun!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 3: The Hidden Capture  
  
The ceremony at the Château Creux was in chaos as the stage quickly filled with smoke. The hotel's wizarding security flooded the area.  
  
Ron Weasley lay on the floor of that stage with a bloody gash in his right arm. Barely seconds before the stage was safe and brightly lit as he stood with Hermione, who he could no longer see.  
  
"Hermione!" he called out into the fog. Another scream was all he got in return.  
  
Ron followed the sound of the scream to find a shadow of two people. A man with his wand extended, along with an unconscious woman over his shoulder that must have been Hermione. The shadow moved swiftly through the smoky area and out a small door.  
  
Ron yanked his wand out of his suit and began to run after the mysterious captor. He rushed through the door into the brightly-lit halls of the hotel. The man was not in sight, but Ron raced after the sound of heavy footprints.  
  
He started to catch up with this villain, but could only see him from behind. He was a tall, thin man who had rich brown hair sprinkled with grays. As the man reached the back staircase, he turned back.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, aiming his wand at Ron.  
  
Ron barely dodged the spell. The wall crumbled where the curse had punctured it. Before Ron even dared to stand up, he jerked his chin up and stared into the face of his predator.  
  
Ron gasped. Remus Lupin stood in front of him, smirking on delight.  
  
Ron stood up, but Lupin had already started climbing up the staircase.  
  
"Remus!" Ron shouted as he chased his old friend up the stairs. "Don't do this! You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"  
  
One flight later, Ron watched the shadows of Remus and Hermione depart from the staircase through a side door. Ron followed them, but he was very confused. Why was Remus Lupin rushing toward Hermione and Ginny's hotel suite?  
  
Lupin pulled open the door, but before he closed it again a wizarding security officer from the Château Creux slipped his way into the suite.  
  
The door was shut and locked by the time Ron had reached it. "Alohamora!" he cried, but the door did not budge.  
  
Realizing a simpler route, Ron rushed into his room and then yanked at the door connecting his part of the suite with Hermione's. But Hermione and Lupin were not there.  
  
The security officer lay dead on the carpet by the door, but there was no sign that any other people had been in the room. No smashed lamps. No hole from spells deflecting off the walls. Not even an open window.  
  
Ron continued to scream for Hermione and listen for any strange sounds, but there was nothing for him to find.  
  
Hurt and shocked by his surroundings, Ron began to feel ill.  
  
The corpse of the young Parisian bodyguard was the last thing he saw before he fainted against the wall.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron shifted awake looking dazed and confused. Bright lights flooded the room and made his eyes sting. He could feel the tight bandages encompassing his wounded arm.  
  
When he was able to open his eyes fully, he saw his parents standing above him with Harry and Ginny. His eyes moved and he saw his brothers in various areas of the room. None of them seemed to notice that he was conscious.  
  
For a moment, he had no recollection of what had happened. Then he realized he was on a bed. A hospital bed.  
  
"Hermione!" He yelped, his body snapping up. His memories burst through him like a broken dam.  
  
"Ron!" cried Ginny, the first to react. She pushed his upper body onto the bed once more, trying to calm him.  
  
"Where is she?" Ron asked urgently. He searched for hope in the eyes of his best friend and his family, but it was only greeted with unsure visages.  
  
"WHY THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU ALL HERE IF YOU DIDN'T FIND HER?" He bellowed.  
  
"We're looking for her, Ron. She's going to be fine." Mrs. Weasley placed a comforting hand on her youngest son's shoulder. "There's aurors and International wizarding security guards and even untrained wizards looking for her."  
  
Ron groaned into the pillow as another gruesome memory trickled into his brain.  
  
"That man.. the security guard. He's dead."  
  
There was a reverent silence at first, but it was broken by a rich French accent. "His name was Pierre Mariselles. He was a young man in area with no surviving family members, unfortunately. His brother was in ranks with Voldemort, but he was killed. Death Eaters shortly after murdered his parents."  
  
"I'm Doctor Cleftémoin." The man sighed. "You seem to be recovering well."  
  
He took a small flashlight out of his pocket and pulled up Ron's eyelids, shining the light into his icy blues.  
  
"We could have used some of those awful potion injections on you, but in dire situations such as these it's best to let people wake naturally."  
  
"Where the hell is Hermione?" is all Ron murmured in disgruntled reply.  
  
"Listen to me, Ronald." Dr. Cleftémoin's tone seemed a bit stricter than his introduction. "We found something next to the body. Does it mean anything to you?"  
  
Cleftémoin pulled a small silver charm out of his coat pocket and placed it on the bedside table. Ron recognized it immediately.  
  
"It's Hermione's locket." Ron answered sounding almost disappointed. With every wizard in Paris on alert, he expected more sufficient results than a single piece of jewelry.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Weasley." The doctor continued. "But what is this?"  
  
He opened the locket, and Ron stared at it quizzically.  
  
Inside there was a thick, green liquid pressed behind the glass that smelled of old cabbage.  
  
"I never knew what she kept inside that thing." Harry whispered. "I just assumed it was pictures. What is it?"  
  
The Doctor raised his hands into the air and shook his head. "We don't know! We've run tests, but we've never seen this potion before! There's some pretty potent ingredients in there though."  
  
He put the locket back on the table. "Well, I'll be off then. Good luck retrieving your girlfriend."  
  
Ron opened his mouth to tell Cleftémoin that Hermione was never his girlfriend, but decided against it. The doctor turned to leave, and through the open space he had left in the wall of bodies surrounding Ron's bed, Ron noticed another man on a bed a few feet away. He was sitting nonchalantly on the edge of his bed with a glass of water.  
  
"You bastard!" Ron yelled suddenly, jumping off his bed and toward Remus Lupin with violent speed.  
  
It was Bill who pounced on Ron and held him down to stop his raging pursuit.  
  
"It wasn't Remus, Ron! It was Polyjuice Potion!" With a loud grunt, Bill shoved Ron back toward his hospital bed.  
  
His family's faces showed all the mixed feelings that floated in the air. Bill shot him withering glances after his efforts to keep Ron from beating Lupin senseless. Charlie gaped at him in utter shock. Percy stared down upon him with a look of sheer pity. Fred and George both seemed very confused. His parents stood over him; their concerned faces casting shadows on Ron. Little Ginny was overcome with sadness and sobbed loudly. Harry embraced Ginny, whispering soothing words into her ear and combing her fiery hair through his fingers.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Lupin said in the background. "I wasn't expecting it at all. I got hit from behind, so I don't even have a description to give you."  
  
Ron nodded solemnly into Lupin's guilt covered eyes.  
  
"Let's get out of here."  
  
As Ron left, he snatched the charm from the locket off the table and placed it into his pocket.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry peered into the room next to his one last time before he carried the last of Hermione and Ginny's possessions into his room and shut the door.  
  
He plunked the bags onto the floor next to Ginny, who was sitting on the edge of his bed.  
  
Ron shut the door forcefully. He clutched a large oak desk and pushed it into place in front of the connecting door. He paced back and forth in a commander-like manner before addressing Ginny.  
  
"Don't even go in that room. All your things are in here. You don't need to be in that place. It belongs to the aurors now."  
  
Ginny fell back into Harry's bed and sighed. "Ron, I may be a year younger than you, but I'm not daft." She stood up and began setting up a sleeping bag. "You're the one who needs to stay away from that room."  
  
Ron grabbed his wand and flicked it at Ginny with conviction. Ginny threw her arms up to block whatever curse was being aimed at her, but realized that he had only set up her sleeping bag magically.  
  
"I should put a Bat Bogey Hex on you for scaring me like that!" She giggled. Her brother gave her a cheeky grin.  
  
"I don't understand why you want to sleep in that thing. You know we could just conjure up a third bed for you."  
  
Ginny's eyes shifted between Ron and Harry before she gave an unsteady answer. "I think it's more comfortable on the floor. You know how hard my bed is back at The Burrow."  
  
Ron simply shrugged before climbing into his bed. As Harry and Ginny climbed into their respectable sleeping spots, he reached for the lamp next to his bed.  
  
"Goodnight then." He said. The light clicked off and the three were left in darkness.  
  
However, Ron was restless. For many hours he lay still, thinking of Hermione. Ron had only just begun to show her how much her cared for her. He didn't know what he would do if he never saw her again. Though his eyes were shut, his ears strained for any sound that might have come from the next room.  
  
He heard a rustling from below, but realized it was Ginny. He squinted through the darkness and watched as she shimmied out of her sleeping bag and into Harry's bed. Harry, whom was also pretending to sleep, wrapped his arms around her frail body and kissed her cheek. They snuggled close and slept peacefully almost at once.  
  
"The floor's more comfortable, my ass." Ron mumbled, smirking his way into a much-needed slumber.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Was that a good continuation to the cliff? Anything else you'd like to see?  
  
Then.. 1, 2, 3! Review with me! * Does the review dance * 


	4. Modes of Transportation

After a wake up call, I realized that I was not expecting anonymous reviews! So now, ALL ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ARE ACCEPTED! Please be nice! Just because I don't know who you are doesn't mean you should bash me!  
  
Rose-petal-forever- I've never seen Bad Boys 2, but I don't mind the comparison! Thank you for being such an avid reviewer and this chapter will answer some of your questions!  
  
Oobergoober- Yes, my pen name is name after the song 'Konstantine' by Something Corporate. That's such an amazing song! I hope you enjoy the story!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 4: Modes of Transportation  
  
Ginny's bright eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the morning sunlight. She lay on her side and she could feel Harry's warm arm wrapped around her waist. She was comfortable and content, but she knew she had to move before Ron woke up.  
  
But when she tossed back the sheets and lifted her head, Ginny realized that Ron was already awake and out of bed.  
  
"Bollocks!" she cursed, shaking the man next to her. "Harry! Harry!"  
  
"Ginny?" Harry groaned into the pillow. He maneuvered his head toward the voice of the only Weasley girl and carefully opened his piercing green eyes.  
  
"Ron woke up! He must have seen us! And worse, he's gone! He's probably off doing something idiotic to try and find Hermione!"  
  
Harry shot up in bed and ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Great!" he said sarcastically while putting on his glasses. "Not only do I have to find him, he's going to pound me when I do."  
  
Ginny let out a little laugh. "He's not going to pound you. He loves you. I love you."  
  
Harry leaned over, still staring into her eyes. "I love you too, Ginny."  
  
He moved in to kiss her lips, but just then the bathroom door clicked open.  
  
"Ron!" Ginny yelped as she and Harry both popped up, sitting rigid in the bed. "We can explain!"  
  
"No need, Harry." Ron said, walking into the room wearing only jeans and rustling his hair with a white towel. "I was pretty sure you were snogging my sister."  
  
Ginny's mouth hung open in a look of utter shock.  
  
Ron walked her and closed her mouth with his hand. "I may be your older brother, but I'm not daft." He sang, mocking her tone from the night before.  
  
"Ron, where are you going at 8 o'clock in the morning?"  
  
"I'm going to find my Hermione." Ron threw a shirt over his head and grabbed his wand off the nightstand.  
  
"You can't just go off to play hero, man!" Harry warned. "Trust me! I learned that the hard way! This case will be fine in the hands of the Aurors."  
  
Ron turned and aimed his wand directly between Harry's eyes. "Don't lecture me, Potter. Let me make my own fucking decisions and I'll let you do the same." Malice consumed Ron's voice. His eyes quickly passed over Ginny before staring at Harry again.  
  
"Okay! Okay!" Harry caved, getting the point and beckoning Ron to put the wand down.  
  
"Keep your head on!" Harry added as Ron shoved his wand into his pocket.  
  
A comical grin spread across Ron's face as he walked toward Harry's bed. Without hesitation, he tore back the sheets of the bed.  
  
Looking Harry in the eye, Ron leaned over and firmly grasped Harry's shoulder.  
  
"And you keep your trousers on."  
  
With these famous last words, Ron hurried out the door. Harry sat there with the same terrified look for several moments and Ginny giggled hysterically.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron opened up the small red notebook he found in Hermione's bag before Harry and Ginny woke up. There were all kinds of notes in it, even some potion recipes. He flipped through the pages, scanning for any similar potions to the one in the locket.  
  
"Potion is a chunky substance." No, that wasn't it. He flipped the page.  
  
"Red bubbles emit from the pink liquid." Ron scrunched up his nose. What kind of experiments was Hermione doing in her spare time?  
  
"Potion is a deep green color and remains placid." Ron rejoiced as he realized that this must be the potion.  
  
"All three tests prove successful. The vials were placed in different areas, and drinking from one would automatically lead the drinker to the other."  
  
"Hermione, you're brilliant!" Ron said to the empty hallway.  
  
It was a transportation potion! If Hermione had the other half of this potion, drinking it would lead him to her!  
  
Ron carefully opened the locket and lifted the glass on one side. There was nothing in the notebook about dosage, so he decided half would a safe amount.  
  
"Well Hermione, let's hope your concoctions really work." Ron gripped his wand, tilted his head back and let the sticky potion slide down his throat.  
  
When he looked around again, his surroundings were completely different.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Harry sat on the balcony, his mind raced.  
  
Why had he let Ron go alone? Was it in sheer shock of the moment? Was he afraid of facing pain or death once more, even for Hermione?  
  
His head hung as if there was a weight on the back of his neck. Ron had been gone for only a few minutes, but Harry hadn't the fondest idea where he'd disappeared to so quickly.  
  
He could hear the sound of water as Ginny turned on the shower. She seemed so much calmer about it all. She trusted that Ron's heart who lead him to Hermione, and that his strength would get them both home safely.  
  
Before Harry's thoughts could depress him more, he was distracted by a knock on the door.  
  
"Harry Potter?" the man at the door questioned once Harry had opened it. Harry nodded.  
  
"I'm from the Aurors Department. Where are the Weasleys?" The man surveyed the room with a certain look of scrutiny etched on his face as he showed Harry his official Auror badge.  
  
"Well, Ginny is in the shower." Harry said, pointing to the bathroom door. "And Ron.. just stepped out."  
  
"Mr. Weasley left? To go where?" The Auror had a dire tone in his voice, but all Harry could do was shrug and shake his head in reply.  
  
"Get Miss Weasley out of the shower. I don't want to scare her."  
  
Assuming that the man wished to speak with them as quickly as possible, Harry knocked on the bathroom door and called out to her.  
  
"Hey Ginny! I need you to get out of the shower! There's someone here to see us!"  
  
"Oh, of course! I'll be right there!" Her muffled voice rang out as the water stopped.  
  
Harry walked over to his bed to pick up his wand, but he heard "Expelliarmus!" from behind him, and the wand flew away from his hand.  
  
Harry whipped around to find the Auror with his and Ginny's wand in a tight fist.  
  
Ginny walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, her hair still dripping wet. She looked between Harry's furious eyes and the wands in the strangers' hands.  
  
"Why did he take our wands?" she asked Harry, sounding very confused.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss Weasley, but we're going to have to detain you. Your brother too." The Auror spoke up. He pocketed their wands. "It's ministry orders."  
  
"You bloody idiot!" Ginny shouted. "Do you really think you're going to find her if you detain us?"  
  
Harry smiled. He was shocked that Ginny had spoken like that to a man of such high authority, but he would have said it himself if he had a pinch more of that Gryffindor courage.  
  
"You are targets, Miss Weasley!" The man yelled. Harry stood up, but the Auror pointed his wand at him before he made another move.  
  
"You can go quietly, or I can go by force. It doesn't make that much of a difference to me."  
  
Harry and Ginny stared at each other for a moment before giving in.  
  
"Good." The man said. "I knew you'd be good sports."  
  
The man grabbed Harry and Ginny's wrist, murmured an enchantment under his breath, and they were thrown into a whirlwind of color and light.  
  
They landed again in the same positions, except the room was white with only three beds inside.  
  
"Where are we?" Harry asked.  
  
"That information is classified, Mr. Potter." The man said.  
  
"The bathroom is right there." He said, pointing to a door that almost blended into the wall.  
  
"Your garments and other permissible personal items will be delivered to you. Meals are served at 8am, 1pm, and 6pm. Ronald should be joining you soon."  
  
Without another word, the Auror walked out of the room. Harry and Ginny heard a lock click into place from the outside.  
  
"Dammit!" Harry screamed, punching the wall. "This isn't safety! This is a prison! I guess nobody cares a prophecy isn't ruining your life!"  
  
"We have to get out of here!" Ginny cried.  
  
"How?"  
  
"I don't know! You're The Boy Who Bloody Lived! You beat Lord Voldemort! You can get us out of here!"  
  
Ginny fell up against the wall, sliding down the side as a single tear fell down her cheek.  
  
Harry kneeled down next to her, consoling her as best he could. "You're right, Gin. We need to help Ron and save Hermione."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
This chapter is more a lead, so the next chapter is action-packed!  
  
Wanna find out what happens? Review! 


	5. Wicked Injustice

I'm sorry if it seems like I take a little long between chapters. I'm doing this usually after school or on weekends when I'm not already busy. It's a time squeeze, but I'm going to try to update more often.  
  
Rose-petal-forever- I definitely plan on finishing this! Especially with your awesome reviews! Thank you for giving me your support chapter by chapter!  
  
Netbyrd- Thank you! I'm only sixteen so it's great to here that somebody understands what I'm saying, lol! I try to make the story the best I can and I'm glad you like it!  
  
Kyler Brodi & alyssa-farrell- I'll definitely keep up on the updating! I'm so happy that this story keeps you excited!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 5: Wicked Injustice  
  
The air was damp and the floor was rough, and Ron Weasley lay motionless in his darkened relocation.  
  
He cautiously felt the wall that he was up against. It was grimy, cold stone. He pondered whether or not he was in a cave or an old building, but it was just too dark to make anything more than a hypothesis.  
  
He wasn't sure if any kind of movement was safe. His mind raced with scenarios of dangerous creatures and deadly wizards luring around the corners. He wasn't sure if this was the smartest situation to be in. His nerves were slowly setting in.  
  
"Hermione." He whispered to nobody. That was his motivation. That was worth his life.  
  
In one swift movement, Ron leapt to his feet. His head whipped around and his ears perked up, as if he were trying to sense any incoming intruders through the darkness. He had his wand in hand and got ready curse those disgusting Death Eaters to oblivion.  
  
But nothing happened. There wasn't so much as a pin drop.  
  
This potion led him to Hermione! Where was she? Where was he? He cursed under his breath. He had nowhere to go! He couldn't see and the area was probably littered with magical traps.  
  
Just when he was about to pray for his life and run through the darkness, a dim light came from around a corner. It was blue and it flickered. Of course! It was a bluebell flame! It was them!  
  
Ron looked around and realized he was in a corridor or tunnel made completely out of stone. It was surprisingly empty, minus a few cobwebs and a small shiny object glittering only a few feet away.  
  
He bent down and scooped it up. It was a bracelet charm shaped like a crystal and filled with the familiar greenish liquid. Hermione must've woke up and lost it in a struggle.  
  
Ron tiptoed toward the light and peered around the corner.  
  
There was Hermione, tied with thick white cords on the floor. She writhed around but did not make a sound out of fear of the men in front of her in white masks.  
  
"Granger." A curt voice said from behind the mask. "Potter isn't up to playing hero anymore, now is he?"  
  
Ron recognized the voice almost immediately. Draco Malfoy. Ron's blood boiled at the sight.  
  
The Death Eater slapped Hermione hard across the face. She whimpered but tried her best to muffle it. A red mark seared across her cheek.  
  
"That just fine." Another voice said. "We'll let her starve to death." Ron was positive that was Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"It won't do us any good to kill her, father."  
  
"Of course it will! Potter's powers will be weakened! And once she's gone we'll just have to take the Weasley girl."  
  
Ron was filled with overbearing rage as he watched the scene in front of him. He wanted to jump out and massacre them, but there were five Death Eaters and only one Ron Weasley.  
  
"We'll retreat for now. He said. "Nobody's coming for this one."  
  
Ron waited for several minutes after they left to make sure the coast was clear. He then crept into the room, which was lit by a single bluebell flame in a lantern.  
  
The welt on Hermione's face was starting to turn a smoky blue. She turned her head to the side and widened her eyes when she saw him.  
  
"Ron!" She gasped. "How did you find me?"  
  
"Your potion brought me here. You dropped it in the corridor just outside."  
  
Ron held up the charm before placing it back in her pocket. He began to fiddle with her bindings, but they were tight and difficult.  
  
"Where are we?" "I don't know."  
  
"We'll still get out of here fine." Ron grunted. "Then the Ministry will catch the bloody Malfoys and their friends."  
  
Ron heard a snicker from behind him. "Crucio!"  
  
Ron felt as if every vein in his body had popped and every bone had broken. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground.  
  
"There's no way in hell either of you are leaving, Weasley." Draco spat at him.  
  
"Did you really think we were going to leave the girl unguarded?" He kicked Ron with a great force. "We're Death Eaters, not idiots."  
  
"Give up, Malfoy." Ron retorted in a harsh, worn-out tone. "Your Lord is dead."  
  
Ron began to feel a strange sensation as his vision blurred. The walls began to melt from the stone pattern to a creamy white wall.  
  
"He may be, Weasley, but in a moment you'll be dead too." Draco pointed his wand at Ron.  
  
Ron closed his eyes, preparing for the very worst, but when he opened again these wasn't a person or a stone wall in sight.  
  
He was back in the hotel.  
  
In a panic, Ron grabbed Hermione's notebook from next to him.  
  
Sure enough there was an extra line that Ron had not read written in Hermione's neat handwriting.  
  
"Effect of the potion is only temporary."  
  
Ron's head fell back against the wall. He couldn't do this alone. He needed help.  
  
He needed Harry and Ginny.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At exactly 6pm, dinner appeared on a small corner table in Harry and Ginny's penitentiary.  
  
They had lingered in the room for many hours. They were unsure whether the Aurors were watching them or not, so the hopes of an escape plan were dwindling by the minute.  
  
They sat through the most uncomfortable meal they had ever eaten with one another in silence. It wasn't until after their meal that either had an idea.  
  
"Hit me." Harry whispered into her ear. Ginny questioned him with a look of surprise descending across her face.  
  
"Like you said, I'm The Boy Who Bloody Lived." Harry mimicked her. "If you're abusing me somebody's going to have to come in and stop you."  
  
Ginny smirked, but when she pulled herself away from Harry she yelled "You pathetic bastard!"  
  
She began to hit him very lightly, but Harry used the little acting skills he had to make his injuries seem so much worse.  
  
Sure enough, a young Auror came in seconds later. A rope shot out of his wand, tying Ginny's hands together.  
  
"All right there, Mr. Potter?" He asked. Harry simply nodded.  
  
"Please, don't blame this on Ginny." Harry said in a voice of fake intimidation. "I said some pretty awful stuff to here back at the hotel."  
  
As he spoke, Harry moved behind Ginny and untied the ropes on her hands.  
  
The Auror shook his head. "That hotel is a danger and a menace."  
  
"Why?" Harry asked with a confused expression.  
  
"Do you know what Château Creux means in French, Mr. Potter? It means Hollow Castle. It's held up magically because there's area between the corridor walls and the outer walls that are hollowed out."  
  
The young Auror shook back to reality once again. "I'm going to have to keep you in another room, Miss Weasley."  
  
He pointed his wand at her again, but she extended her fist out from behind her back and knocked him out cold.  
  
Harry laughed in relief. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I was getting into it."  
  
Ginny took his hand and ran toward the open doorway.  
  
"They'll be tailing us." She whispered to him as they exited the room. "Let's get our wands and get out."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So, what's the dilio? What's the de- de- de- deal?  
  
Tell me what you think! Leave a review! 


	6. The Race for Reinforcement

I just got back from a week in Quebec City, Canada. It's a really amazing place, though I might suggest travelling there when it's a bit warmer outside! Anyhow, thank you to all my dear fans that were waiting patiently as I pumped out this chapter. I hope it'll live up to your expectations.  
  
Rose-petal-forever- Thank you once again! You're the best!  
  
Blue Castle- Eh, what's in a name? It's all in the input! Thanks for giving me some of that input!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 6: The Race for Reinforcement  
  
Harry and Ginny raced down the halls, completely unaware of their surroundings.  
  
"Where exactly would you keep wands in a place like this, Harry?" Ginny shouted over blaring alarms as ward after ward went off.  
  
There was barely any hope for a successful escape. They were going down an endless white hall with identical white doors going down each side. It seemed to be characterized by reminiscences of an old mental hospital.  
  
They could hear the Aurors behind them now. They were yelling out spells and instructions as they quickly gained ground.  
  
Feeling a sudden rush of energy, Harry pushed through the door to his left. He swung Ginny through the doorway, narrowly missing a stunning spell before entering himself.  
  
"It's here." He said with supernatural instinct as he looked down a hallway almost identical to the one that they were just in. "The room is somewhere down here."  
  
Ginny began pushing at all the doors on the right side of the hallway as she ran along. "Well, find it! We don't have time!"  
  
"No, Gin! It's not those! It's further down!" Harry was shocked by his keen senses as he pulled her away from the doors and pulled her down the hallway.  
  
Just as he knew that they were getting close, Harry heard a deep-voiced Auror cast a stunning spell from behind and Ginny fell to the floor.  
  
Harry cursed aloud, but quickly scooped Ginny into his arms. Now he needed to get to his wand. He needed to revive her and get the hell out of this oppressed prison.  
  
The sweat began dripping down his face in turrets. He could hear his enemies' footprints steadily getting closer and he knew there wasn't much time left for hope.  
  
Then he sensed it, and abruptly stopped to push through the door on the right.  
  
The room was a rich mauve, shelved from top to bottom with wands. Harry eyes widened. How many captors did these men have? Did some of these wands belong to wizards who would someday be released from Azkaban?  
  
He was sure he would not find their wands safely, but he had to try. His stomach gave a jolt as he looked at the signs on each section. 'March 5, 1856' one box read.  
  
Looking down the isles, Harry realized that the wands were in order by date. He groaned loudly. Their wands must've been all the way at the end.  
  
Without another thought, he hoisted Ginny up once again and jetted through the isles. He zigzagged away from spells after curse. August 9, 1924  
  
Harry ducked as a spell ricocheted off the boxes holding wands and narrowly missed his head. Another spell zoomed through Ginny's hanging red hair, but did not harm them. November 28, 1977  
  
Finally, Harry reached the box that held his precious holly and phoenix feather wand. With a grunt, his rough hands placed Ginny into the floor and he lifted the lid.  
  
He snatched up the wand a cast a Jelly Legs Jinx on the nearest Auror. His grass-green eyes danced with the joy of liberation.  
  
"Enverate!" He shouted, waking Ginny from her very unpleasant sleep.  
  
"Harry?" she murmured. She was weak and not fully conscious.  
  
He brushed the wild locks of fire from her forehead and said, "Don't worry. Just stay here and gain your strength. I'm going to get us out of here. I promise."  
  
Her chocolate eyes sparkled up into his concerned face. For that moment, all seemed to be calm and sacred.  
  
"I love you." He whispered. Without another word, Harry spun around and ran out to face the men who held him on the edge of insanity all day.  
  
Footsteps and screams echoed in his ears as Harry stunned one Auror and quickly blocked a Disarming Spell. The noises cause other Aurors to abandon their search for Harry and Ginny for the area where men were clearly battling the infamous Harry Potter.  
  
Harry tried to defend his dignity as best he could, but the number of Aurors had tripled in a short time. He was just narrowly missing curses and starting to feel faint.  
  
After blocking a particular nasty jinx, Harry could see another man waiting to disarm him in the opposite directions out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Expellia-"  
  
Before the man finished, he collapsed to the floor, bat wings sprouting all over his body.  
  
"I always did throw a mean Bat Bogey!" a feminine voice said behind him.  
  
Harry glanced over his shoulder quickly to see Ginny looking to be at the pinnacle of health and beauty. She fought off the men trying to attack her with a serene power that he had never seen before.  
  
He suddenly felt a boost in his own energy as he now dueled with strength and precision. The battle was tiring, but there was more hope than there ever had been before.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron hollered into the empty room. He pulled apart the bed, knocked over lamps, and cursed without remorse.  
  
Harry and Ginny were gone, but the family had no idea what had happened. What kept them missing? Was it Death Eaters? Was it the Ministry? Was it another quick shag in the closet?  
  
He heard the doorknob click open and swung around with the swift instincts that only a keeper would possess. His wand was clutched tightly in his hand.  
  
The same young man stood there, holding forth his official Auror badge.  
  
"Where's my bloody sister and best friend?" Ron scowled. His mood was much too bitter for him to try being polite.  
  
"Your sister and Mr. Potter are fine, Mr. Weasley. They're being held in special headquarters for the time being. I'm going to ask you to join them as well."  
  
Ron threw his hands up in the air. "You are kidding me?"  
  
"Mr. Weasley, I can understand your displeasure with the situation, but-"  
  
"DISPLEASURE?" Ron bellowed. He pointed around the room. "You call this fucking DISPLEASURE?"  
  
With a grimace, the man raised his wand.  
  
"You can go calmly, Mr. Weasley, or we can do this the hard way."  
  
Ron's eyes burned as he laughed at the Auror and shouted "Expelliarmus!"  
  
The Aurors' eyes widened in shock at Ron's brash actions.  
  
"We'll see who's doing this the hard way now." Ron grinned cheekily.  
  
After tightly tying the unlucky Auror to a chair in the hotel room, Ron noticed a sparkle from the man's wrist. Was that a bracelet?  
  
With closer inspection Ron realized it was a platinum wristband. Inscribed on it were the words "Avait Porterais"  
  
Unsure but having no other plan of action, Ron grabbed the man by the wrist and called out the unfamiliar words engraved in the cold metal.  
  
After a tug on his navel and familiar spinning sensation, Ron and the chair- bound Auror landed in a clear white hallway with alarms blaring.  
  
"Special headquarters." Ron was thrilled by his ability to find the area with so little trouble. Feeling a slight need for revenge, Ron pushed the Auror's chair sideways before rushing down the hall.  
  
He could hear strangled voices yelling over the alarms, but only faintly. All he had to do was get a little closer.  
  
Ron came to a running stop after passing a door that was blown off its hinges. He turned back and bolted down that connecting corridor, desperate to find his only remaining sources of comfort.  
  
The sounds were getting much clearer now. He could here a meek woman's voice calling out ahead. That must have been Ginny!  
  
He could also hear a few men conjuring jinxes and deflective spells, and guessed that one of them must've been Harry.  
  
But soon, all went quiet. Ron couldn't hear a sound. He began to run faster, praying for the safety of Harry and Ginny.  
  
He could see an open door ahead now. His long legs ached as he inched closer and closer.  
  
Finally, he sped through the doorway and was shocked by the sight before him.  
  
Harry and Ginny stood snogging in the center of the room, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of at least twenty Aurors.  
  
He coughed loudly to get their attention, and they both whipped their wands in his direction.  
  
Once they noticed it was Ron, they stared in a curious shock.  
  
Ginny ran up to Ron, grabbing him in a hug and spinning him around.  
  
"You're too late, brother." She whispered joyously.  
  
Ron chuckled. "I would expect the Boy-Who-Lived to keep my baby sister safe."  
  
There was a twinkle in Ron's eyes at he nodded thankfully at Harry.  
  
"Actually, she's the one who kept me safe this time."  
  
Ginny's face glowed with pride because she knew her two favorite men were impressed.  
  
"I know who has Hermione. I think I know how we can get to her." Ron announced. "We just need to leave this bloody building."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hate it? Love it? Want more of it?  
  
I don't need the money, so show me the reviews!  
  
Please? I'll just cry if you don't! I don't think anybody wants that! 


	7. Public Hideaways

I've never had to write so many papers over a school vacation in my life! Add that to hanging out with friends, drama, and over-sleeping and it shows that I've been pretty busy. However, I still got this chapter down because I'm really getting fond of ff.net.  
  
Rose-petal-forever- Thanks for always giving me your standpoint on every chapter. It really helps me to have that kind of reassurance behind me to push me forward.  
  
Solin- It's no problem! I'm just glad that you reviewed! I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked all of the others!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 6: Public Hideaways  
  
The room seemed to spin around them as Ron, Harry, and Ginny ran through never-ending hallway after hallway. The white walls and doors gave them the fearful sense that they would find more than a door at the end of the corridors.  
  
As the last corridor formed a delta into the wide central area of the Auror headquarters, Ron said "The Auror who brought you here has a transportation device on his wrist. I found it after I calmed him down."  
  
"How exactly did you calm him down?" Ginny speculated.  
  
"I beat him into submission with a few well-chosen hexes and tied him to a chair." Ron said in a nonchalant tone, pointing to the sideways heap of wood, rope, and man as it appear around the corner. Ginny's eyes widened.  
  
As they got closer, Ron noticed that the man was not even struggling as he was before. He was as limp as a rag doll.  
  
Fearing the worst, Ron darted to the man with Harry and Ginny at his heels. He roughly pushed the chair over to face them.  
  
A shot of pain ripped through him. Ginny let out a quick scream before falling into the arms of Harry, who stared in disbelief.  
  
The Auror lay dead with his eyes wide open in shock and a fresh lightning bolt cut on his forehead.  
  
"I didn't kill him." Ron whispered. He turned to the others only to find Harry with Ginny in one arm and a wand aimed at him in the other hand.  
  
"I DIDN'T FUCKING KILL HIM!" Ron cried out. He could understand Harry's confusion. Over the years they'd had many run-ins with shape shifters and Polyjuice potion. Nevertheless, the frustration and terror in Ron's eyes was overwhelming.  
  
"Ron?" Ginny whispered, only daring to look at him for seconds.  
  
Harry held his wand a little higher. "I'm sorry, mate. You have to understand."  
  
Before Harry could do anything to Ron, a voice hollered "CRUCIO!"  
  
Harry and Ginny fell to their knees in pain, and Ron saw two Death Eaters with raised hoods standing behind a counter.  
  
"Protego!" Ron called out, hitting the Death Eaters and breaking to spell on Harry and Ginny.  
  
"Get up!" Ron yelled to them "We outnumber them! Fight!"  
  
Understanding that this may be a life or death situation, Harry and Ginny jumped to their feet. Harry's wand was still in his hand, so he easily fired spells back at the Death Eaters.  
  
They had only been battling for a few moments when a Jelly Legs Jinx flew into Ron at an amazing speed. He yelled out as his legs began to feel like rubber underneath him and fell to the ground.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" Ginny screamed, and with that simple spell the Death Eaters fell to the floor.  
  
Harry rushed over to the Death Eaters. He took their wands and pulled back their hoods. "It's Crabbe and Goyle. We can leave them here. Aurors from different headquarters should be arriving any moment now."  
  
"A little help over here!" Ron called out as he flailed on the floor. Ginny walked over and giggled.  
  
"Aww, Ron." She cooed, lightly petting his hair. "I don't know the counter- curse. We'll have to get you out of here first."  
  
Ron groaned. "Great! Just great!" He grabbed Ginny's hand a pushed it off his head as to show that he was not a wounded puppy.  
  
Harry hoisted Ron onto his back with some difficulty. "It's a good look for you, mate." Harry teased. He and Ginny flinched as they grabbed the dead Auror's bracelet.  
  
Ron sucked in a breath and he surveyed the scene around him before casting the transportation spell. "Avait Porterais."  
  
They were back in the hotel room where all the trouble had started. It looked exactly as it had when Ron departed with the now lifeless Auror. Tears lightly rained down Ginny's face as she looked at the man.  
  
"We need to get out of here." Ron stated, trying to sound strong in front of Ginny.  
  
Harry dropped Ron onto the bed. "What we really need is somebody who's going to cast the counter-curse without arresting us first."  
  
"Then there's only one place to go." Ginny said, grabbed a notepad from the bedside table. "I'll make the portkey."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Burrow was quiet as the sun set in the distance. The usually busy house was serene as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat at the kitchen table with a representative from the Auror Department.  
  
"Two men have died. They were Pierre Mariselles and Jean L'Heuleux." He said. "We found that they were both abandoned by Death Eater parents in the mist of Voldemort's reign and adopted by different families at age seven."  
  
Mrs. Weasley nodded. Her hand was clasped tightly with her husband's. "That wasn't a coincidence, was it?"  
  
"No, it wasn't. Those men knew something that the Death Eaters did not want intelligence to find out about. Something that would lead us to Ms. Granger."  
  
"It's crucial that we find your children and Mr. Potter. We have substantial evidence that Death Eaters were responsible for the capture of Ms. Granger." The man said in a monotone voice.  
  
"I completely understand that." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "What I don't understand is how keeping our children captive will stop them!"  
  
The Auror went off into another monotone tangent about the importance of their safety, but the Weasleys were simply not paying attention to him. Instead, their eyes were glued to a clock above the man's head with pictures of the children on them.  
  
Only minutes ago, Ron and Ginny's hands were pointing to 'Mortal Peril', but now they had moved across to 'Travelling'. Mr. Weasley's brow furled as they watched the clock in anticipation.  
  
Just as they had hoped, the hands quietly moved to 'Home' without the Auror noticing. They smiled at their children's rare ability to be completely silent at the right times.  
  
"Your right, old chap." Mr. Weasley said to the Auror unconvincingly. "Our top priority is to keep them safe. We haven't heard from them at all, but if we do you'll be the first to know!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley looked shocked for a moment before catching on. "Yes, of course! Please, just try to find them and keep them safe!" She said, opening the door for the man.  
  
They bid the Auror a good day before watching him walk out the door and apparate back to his headquarters.  
  
"He didn't notice!" Mrs. Weasley called out from the kitchen. "It's safe to come out!"  
  
Ginny ran out of the living room and hugged her mother. A sluggish Harry, who was carrying Ron on his back, followed her.  
  
"Oh my! Put him down right here!" Mrs. Weasley said, pulling out a chair for her youngest son. "Arthur! Get the counter-curse book from the other room!"  
  
"How did this happen?" She inquired, and as she looked through page after page of her book the three people surrounding her slowly unraveled the answer.  
  
"Well, at least the Malfoys are clever enough to send the two dimwits to get in the tough situations." Mr. Weasley said. "They must have the tough crowd with Hermione."  
  
Ron held up the locket filled with potion. "This is very temporary, so it's pretty useless. I know what the room looks like, but I don't know how to get to it!"  
  
"It was slimy stones that formed a square room with connecting corridors. It was like a hollowed-out rock or something." Ron murmured, his vision falling back to Hermione and the room.  
  
Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Ron! That's it! She's in the Château Creux!"  
  
"That's right!" Ginny said, happily squeezing Harry's hand. "The Auror guarding our room said that it was French for 'Hollow Castle' and that it was hollowed out between the outer and inner walls!"  
  
"Did you hear the Auror tell us about the men who died?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "They were brothers separated at a young age, and the Aurors thought they knew something about Hermione's whereabouts."  
  
"That's why they never found any signs of apparation or a portkey." Ron said in an excited whisper. "The entrance to the hollows is inside the castles, and the brothers knew where it was."  
  
"That's why Pierre Mariselles was the only guard to run straight to Hermione's room!" Harry shouted out. "The entrance must be in Hermione's room!"  
  
"We need a plan of action. They're not going to kill her because they're using her as bait to get all of us." Harry growled and guilt washed over his face when he heard Ron's words.  
  
"Please! Stay the night before you do anything! Just stay safe tonight!" Mrs. Weasley's watering eyes were enough to convince anyone to stay, and so they reluctantly agreed.  
  
Mrs. Weasley cooked one of her famous five course meals for them. She insisted that they eat every last bite to keep up their strength. Her eyes were brimmed with tears as she watched them eat because she knew all she could do was hope for their safe return with Hermione.  
  
After much discussion that would help them get through the conflict that waited inside the Hollow Castle, they all headed up to bed for a restless night of slumber.  
  
Ron changed and climbed into bed. Harry sat on the edge of his bed and took off his glasses.  
  
"Ginny's room is the fifth door on the right, in case you've forgotten."  
  
"What?" Harry said, his head snapping back to face Ron.  
  
"You heard me! Now hurry up before I change my mind!"  
  
With a gracious smirk painted across his face, Harry slowly strutted out of the room and down the hall.  
  
Ron chuckled to himself as he turned over in bed. At least he knew that Ginny would sleep comfortably tonight in the arms of someone she loved. He wished he could do the same.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I'll take a bow now and thank you for reading this chapter. I only wish to please the readers.  
  
So, if what do you think? Is the plot going in the direction you'd like it to? Do I beat up on my characters too much?  
  
Tell me! Review! 


	8. Operation Hollow Castle

Another chapter for you all! I've been a slave to drama club all week, since our big competition is Saturday, but I figured I'd get it in before I got too caught up in everything. Enjoy!  
  
Solin- Thanks for the review! I think the death eaters would have some tabs on the Aurors, so Crabbe and Goyle must've had an easy way to break in. Auror headquarters could be in several locations, not just in the ministry. They could be all over the world!  
  
LuthienGranger2004- Thank you! I'm glad you took a liking to it!  
  
BuckNC- Your review made me smile so much! I think everyone tries hard to make their stories the best they can, so every writer deserves SOME credit. Thank you for being so passionate about the story.  
  
Raina- Sorry, I'm busy a lot between school, homework, and drama. I only get to update about once every week.  
  
Spidermonkieesrkewl- Yup, this is my first fic. I'm glad that you like the story so much. I really hoped to keep it somewhat suspenseful and I'm glad it's working! I'll try not too keep your cursed impatience waiting too long for the next chapter!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 7: Operation Hollow Castle  
  
Harry sat on the edge of Ginny's bed as the morning sun glimmered through the curtains, tying his workers' boots. He was nervous, but he tried to hide it as he felt the bed sunk in on his right side.  
  
"Almost ready, Harry?" Ginny cooed from beside him. Noticing his face, she said, "What's wrong?"  
  
Harry thought for a moment about 'Operation Hollow Castle', Ginny had nicknamed it the night before, and turned back to her.  
  
He let out a long sigh. "Do you ever feel that someday you're going to get too deep into some battle and never make it out?" Ginny sighed herself and then put her head on his shoulder.  
  
"We have to do this for Hermione. I think if any of us were sent by fate to die a hero's death, it would have happened already." Her words of wisdom sunk in slowly, before he nodded.  
  
"Let's go get Ron." Harry said, putting on his brave face once again.  
  
It was a short walk down the hall before Ginny opened the door to find Ron staring at a picture of himself and Hermione at graduation. He looked up at them, looked back at the picture for a moment, and then stood up. "Let's do this."  
  
Ginny had set a portkey the night before that would bring them directly to the hotel room that she and Hermione shared that fateful day. They all grabbed onto the old wooden spoon, and were soon felt a familiar tug.  
  
After much more tugging and spinning, they landed safely in the hotel room.  
  
"How exactly do we find an entrance now?" Ginny asked, looking around the seemingly normal hotel suite.  
  
Ron pointed to a spot on the carpet near the large bloodstain where a body had once lain. "Hermione's necklace was here, I won't expect the entrance to be too far."  
  
Harry began to knock on walls, mumbling various opening and unlocking spells to them. Ginny looked for any magical signs under the bed or behind a painting. Ron just rushed everywhere, searching for an entrance on any possible surface.  
  
It was then that they heard the scream.  
  
"Hermione!" Harry yelled back into the wall. They tried every spell they knew on that patch of wall that the scream had come from behind, but nothing worked.  
  
"No, please Hermione! Please!" Ron began to call out against the wall. A single tear slid down his cheek.  
  
"Nothing's working!" He screamed, knocking over the lamp on the nearest table in his rage.  
  
"Not the spells! Not the Aurors! Not this damn necklace!" Ron ripped the necklace of his neck where it had been lying ever since he was given it. He threw it against the wall, and it broke from the force.  
  
To their surprise, the green potion burned through the wall like acid as it dripped down the side. It didn't open the entrance more than a few inches, but that was enough for them to try to tear through the wall surrounding the hole.  
  
The ripping began to seem slow and fruitless until they heard Hermione's scream again, this time more clearly. "Kanena."  
  
"That's it! Stand back!" Instead of waiting for them to move, Ron pushed Harry and Ginny away from the wall. "Kanena!"  
  
Almost instantly, a grim archway that was only about five feet tall and three feet wide formed in the wall. There was a large, long stone corridor on the other side.  
  
"This is it!" Ron said, lighting his wand as he went to enter.  
  
Harry grabbed him by the shoulder. "No! They can't see the lights from our wands or hear us putting out the light in there! It'll give us away!"  
  
Ron let out an exasperated "Nox," before looking to Harry. "Alright then, how do you suggest we see?"  
  
Harry put up a miniature flashlight from the bedside table. "It's a muggle device. You just push this button forward to put it on, and let go to shut it off." Harry gave them a demonstration, and the flashlight was soundless.  
  
Before another word could be exchanged, another shrill scream could be heard, but this time it was a long, painful noise.  
  
They began to rush through the archway and down the corridor in a silent panic.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As an unforgivable curse burned through her body, Hermione Granger could only fear from the life of her friends.  
  
The Death Eaters had heard them knocking on the wall, and were now punishing Hermione severely for yelling out the entrance enchantment. If she made it out alive, she never wanted to hear the word "Crucio" again.  
  
Her head throbbed as the pain ended. Her friends were walking into the hollows, and the Death Eaters were expecting them.  
  
Draco walked up to her with that signature egotistical grin painted on his face. "Voldemort may be dead, but his enemies will all be dead soon all well, my dear Mudblood."  
  
He rubbed his hand along her cheek and she thrashed her head as far away from his hand as it would go as she lay on the floor.  
  
"I think we'll kill you last." Draco ruminated aloud. "Yes, you'll be much better off watching your friends die first."  
  
In the corridor just outside the room, she heard someone shout the first spell. A great battle had begun.  
  
"Stupefy!" "Incendio!" "Petrificus Totalus!" "Rictusempra!"  
  
Draco stood up as to guard Hermione's almost lifeless body from a safe rescue.  
  
She could vaguely see through her smoky eyes that the light was getting closer and closer, and finally the three Death Eaters that were left standing backing into the room, still dueling with Ron, Harry, and Ginny.  
  
If she was ever going to be saved, this would have to be that time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I love evil!Draco. I'm definitely not a big believer in him switching to the side of good, so I'm trying to make him seem extra evil here.  
  
I got so many awesome reviews! Keep 'em coming!" 


	9. Battle Scars

Wow! I suck at keeping a constant updating pattern! Sorry! I won a nice little award at that drama competition of mine and I've just been too high on life to type this all out since, I guess. I hope this chapter will be enough to please everybody who has waited so patiently.  
  
Rose-petal-forever- Last review? * sigh * That makes me sad, but thank you for the support you've given me since the beginning and all the reviews!  
  
Solin- Sorry that the last chapter was so short. I wrote it quickly and lazily. I hope the description in this chapter is better than the last!  
  
BuckNC- Yes, I'm evil with those cliffhangers! I'm glad you love evil!Draco as much as I do. Though even at that I'm a bit mean to him.  
  
Gone_ron_crazy- That review was so excellent to read! It boosted my confidence in my writing a bunch and made me smile! Thank you!  
  
VENGEANCE by MyKonstantine  
  
Chapter 9: Battle Scars  
  
The blood pounded in Ron's ears as his body screamed in pain. He hadn't been the first to be hit with the Cruciatus curse, that had been Harry, but it hurt nonetheless.  
  
The battle was fierce, and even though they had successfully managed to drive the Death Eaters back into the room were Hermione was being held captive, they were still outnumbered.  
  
Ron could feel his own power draining. He tried to push the thought of defeat out of his head and gained his composure.  
  
He soon as he could, Ron pointed his wand at a Death Eater who was approaching Ginny and weakly shouted out the first curse he could think of.  
  
"Tarantallegra!" The Death Eater become quite confused as his feet moved him across the floor. Harry did the last thing he would be expected to do during battle in response.  
  
He laughed. "Way to go, mate! Let's just make the most lethal men in the whole of England dance!" Ron smiled back at Harry in a very surreal battle moment.  
  
He was slammed back into his surroundings when a violet light shot out of Harry's wand and hit the dancing Death Eater.  
  
"We're fighting even now." Ginny shouted after she saw the man go down. "There's one in the back, but he won't leave Hermione."  
  
Ron snarled in disgust at the thought of the one with Hermione. "Deal with one bastard at a time, Virginia."  
  
He could see the sweat pouring down her fragile face. Streams of light ricocheted off every stone inside the castle's inner walls.  
  
Though they were exhausted, the odds were getting greater and Ron felt a newly restored sense of confidence.  
  
That is, until one Death Eater found a way to cut through all of their hearts. He charged at Ginny, sweeping her up off her feet and over his shoulder.  
  
She kicked and screamed as her wand dropped to the floor, but without it her frail body had very little defense. As the Death Eater ran away down the tunnel from which the trio had entered, they could see his long blonde hair under his white mask.  
  
"Fuck!" Ron said brashly. He sent a jinx at one of the remaining Death Eaters and then quickly scooped up Ginny's wand.  
  
He could already see Harry going after Ginny's screams. "Hold them off, Ron!"  
  
"No! I need to get Ginny!" Ron felt a bit out of place. Why should Harry be the hero who saves his sister? It was his sister, after all.  
  
Then he caught Harry frustrated face for a moment, and he could see that tears welling his eyes.  
  
"She's already saved my life, I need to help her!" Harry shouted. "And I love her, Ron. By god, I love her!"  
  
Ron felt his brotherly notions snap. He understood Harry's feelings completely. Was he not trying to do the same thing for Hermione at that moment?  
  
"Be careful, Harry!" Ron said. He could see Harry rushing down the hall from the corner of his eye.  
  
The two extra Death Eaters tried to follow Harry in hot pursuit, but Ron got in between. He tried to hold them off, but he could slowly feel himself walking backwards down the lengthy hall.  
  
He could hear the dark voices hollering in the distance. They must have been back in the hotel room.  
  
"Don't move, Potter! I've killed muggle lovers like Weasley before, and I'll do it again!"  
  
"You prat! Voldemort is gone! You belong in Azkaban!" Ron heard as he took another step back that feel like another agonizing defeat.  
  
"My lord may have been lost, but he will be avenged when you and your friends are dead!"  
  
Harry's tortured words filled the air with an aura of bravery that reverberated through the castle. "NEVER! I'LL KILL YOU LUCIUS!"  
  
"I'll kill the girl, Potter! I'll do it!"  
  
Ron shook with worry as he continued his fruitless battle with the two Death Eaters. He wanted to help Ginny and Harry, but he knew there was nothing he could do without being killed.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" He heard two different voices call out almost simultaneously, and then all was silent.  
  
What happened? Were they okay? Was Hermione okay? Ron's head was filled with questions that were impossible for him to answer. All he knew was that his energy was waning and the Death Eaters had begun to discover his weaknesses.  
  
His body ached from all the spots his had been hit. A blue light hit his legs and he dropped hopelessly to his knees.  
  
Ron didn't think it could ever end like this. He tried to gather his strength as best he could, but the Death Eaters already held their wands at attention.  
  
"Avada Keda-" "Avada Kedavra!" A woman's voice cut of the Death Eater's at double the speed.  
  
Ron was blinded by the shocking green light. When it faded, he was faced with one dead Death Eater and another in retreat.  
  
"Stupefy!" Another voice said from behind him, and the last of their immediate collapsed on the ground.  
  
Ron swung around to find Harry cradling Ginny in his arms as she sobbed without any relent.  
  
"You're alive!" Ron cried out, grabbing the two of them is a strong embrace. However, neither of them seemed quite as happy.  
  
"Lucius.. He tried to kill me. So, Harry killed him." Ginny let out quietly in between sobs. Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"Better him than you, Gin!" A wail fell from her lips and she put her head in Harry's shoulder.  
  
"But then that man tried to kill you.." A visible wet spot had already formed on Harry's shirt. "..and I killed him. I murdered him."  
  
"He deserved it." Harry mumbles into her ear. "He deserved it and so did Lucius."  
  
Ginny nodded vigorously, and then began to wipe her eyes. It was obvious that she was still disturbed by the idea.  
  
Ron remembered something and turned around quickly, but nobody was there. "There's still one more in there. He's gone Hermione and he's expecting us. I'm also damn sure that it's Draco Malfoy."  
  
"He's worthless and outnumbered now. This shouldn't be too tough."  
  
"No," Ron said, "he knows us. He knows what will get to us, and he's not afraid to hurt anyone, because he's alone. He's got nothing to lose."  
  
With an over-exaggerated huff, Ron turned around and the three began to march down the corridor.  
  
As they entered, they could see Draco standing at attention in the shadows and Hermione's body on the ground. She wasn't moving.  
  
"Face us, Malfoy." Ron spat in a bitter tone. "Getting out of the corner, you coward."  
  
Draco did just that. He lunged out and yelled "Avada Kedavra!" The spell came toward Ron, but his leapt away just in time for it to narrowly miss his head. The wall crumbled behind him.  
  
"Well, isn't that a familiar sight." Draco said with a drawl. "Weasley trying to save the girl and making me damage walls worth more than him."  
  
Harry and Ginny pointed their wands at him with intention. Ron jumped up to his feet. "You were the one who took her?"  
  
Draco let out an amused laugh. "Do you actually think any of those other imbeciles were fit enough to do it? Even in Lupin's body they wouldn't have been able to take it."  
  
He began to raise his wand again, but Ron's flew up faster. "Don't do it, Malfoy. You're the only one left here." Draco shook his head. "Oh no, we will recover and meet again once you are dead."  
  
"There will be no recovering for some, Malfoy." Harry spoke up in anger. "I killed your father. Another one of your people died as well."  
  
The shock of Draco's face could be seen quite clearly. He certainly hand not expected his muggle-loving arch-nemesis to kill anyone, especially his father.  
  
The room was dead quiet as Draco stared into the eyes of his three lifelong enemies. It seemed as if he had turned to stone until Hermione began to move.  
  
He pointed his wand at her and looked directly into Ron's eyes. "Make your move, Weasley."  
  
Ron sucked in a deep breath, thinking of what to do next. Draco was staring at him with a rough intensity. Before he let out a word, a curse flew at Draco from across the room. He flew into the wall with a loud thud.  
  
"Before you tell a Weasley to make their move, remember that there's two of them!" Ginny twirled her wand through her fingers with a devilish grin on her face.  
  
The remarkable show of teamwork gave Ron a nerve he hadn't quite possessed before, and he walked straight over to Draco.  
  
He pointed his wand right between Draco's eyes. "Surrender, Malfoy. You're alone now. You belong in Azkaban with people who deserve your company."  
  
Draco's eyes lingered up Ron for a moment before he slowly moved his wand hand again. However, he did not point his wand at the others, but at himself.  
  
"Avada Kedavra." The words tumbled from his lips like the most deadly of poisons. There was another lime green flash, and Draco Malfoy was dead.  
  
The room was filled with a sickening tension as they stared at the body of their once enemy. When the realization had finally struck him, Ron ran over to Hermione and untied her.  
  
"Oh my goodness, Ron." Hermione whispered slowly. It seemed like she thought he was made of glass, and his image would break apart if she spoke too loudly.  
  
"I love you, Hermione." Ron blurted out, pulling her weakened body into a tight embrace. "You're alive and I've loved you for years."  
  
To Hermione's great surprise, she could see the tears sliding down his pale face. She thought she had no more tears left to cry, but when she saw his tears of joy it was very easy to find her own. "I love you too, Ron."  
  
They sat there for what seemed like hours on the cold stone floor, just enjoying the ability to hold each other in their arms. Hermione could see Harry and Ginny doing the same.  
  
"Let's get out of here." Hermione spoke up finally. "Let's go home."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I'll really proud of this chapter. I feel oh-so accomplished, but never fear! This is not the end! Because of all your lovely reviews, there'll be an epilogue to tie up any loose strings.  
  
Now that I've finished with the core of the story, I'd love to here your opinion of it! Review! 


	10. Moonlight Reunion

I honestly didn't plan on writing an epilogue to this story, but I got bored and I haven't completely worked out the plot to the next story I'm writing. I think it may be a bit more of a cynical comedy type. Anyway, this epilogue is FLUFFY. If you have a problem with fluff, then don't let the epilogue ruin the rest of the story for you.  
  
Solin- Thanks for being so supportive. I'm glad you've liked this story and hopefully you'll like my others just as much.  
  
Average profile- You're a cliffhanger fan? Me too! I'll try to keep some fresh cliffhangers in my new stories just for you!  
  
Chapter 10: Moonlight's Reunion  
  
"Never in my life have I seen such a quick recovery from such a traumatic experience." Dr. Cleftémoin said, signing the last of Hermione's hospital release papers. "Especially by someone of your tiny size and stature."  
  
Hermione's face let off a soft light that lit every shadowed corner of the room. She was still rather thin and looked very weak, but it was nothing compared to the almost lifeless body with which she had been checked into the hospital.  
  
"Well, there's been a few other experiences that prepared me for the worst." She tucked her brown curls behind her ear and tapped the fingers of her other hand happily against the seat.  
  
She remembered the dead silence that rang through the hotel lobby of the Château Creux when she entered the lobby in Ron's arms with Harry and Ginny at their heels. When the silence broke there was a panic as the people realized what must have happened.  
  
It was only minutes later that Hermione was been rushed to hospital where she was put through rehabilitation. She was in the French rehabilitation facility a long while. It was a lonely place, even though she had several guests on different occasions.  
  
The doctor handed her a fresh copy of the paper he'd just signed. "They're outside waiting for you." He said with a wink. Taking what seemed like hours, he walked to the door and revealed the crowd of anxious faces who had waited impatiently for her arrival.  
  
"Hermione!" Ginny squealed, though she did not run forward. She was silenced by Fred, who put his hand over her mouth as George whispered "Be quiet! You're ruining the moment!" Mr. Weasley and Remus Lupin let out a chuckle before Tonks, Bill, and Charlie quieted them.  
  
Ron stood in front of everybody else by the reception desk. The stars in his eyes twinkled as she rushed towards him with her arms outstretched. As his arms enclosed around her small frame, Ron didn't care that she was frail or pale or scared of the future. He only cared that she was there. She was his.  
  
Mrs. Weasley let out a little gasp behind them, a tiny dewdrop tumbling down her face. "Hermione dear, welcome back." She looked her up and down in appraisal. "You look much better, but I still say you need to eat a little more with each meal."  
  
"I will, Molly." Hermione said, pulling after from Ron to give Mrs. Weasley a quick hug. She caught Harry's eye as he held Ginny. With a giggle she sighed "And you two!" before giving them a collective hug.  
  
After she'd said her wonderful greeting to everyone, Hermione found herself in Ron's arms again.  
  
"Well, love. I know you what to go home, but we need to celebrate this day properly and our flat is far too small for that!" Ron said, spinning her around as if they were dancing.  
  
"Then where are we going to go!"  
  
It was Harry who shouted out her answer. "The Burrow, of course!"  
  
"Let's go to the Floo Station, then!" Mr. Weasley began to lead with his family and friends murmuring joyously behind him.  
  
A party had already been awaiting them at the Burrow. Fleur, who was currently dating Bill, was organizing food and old school friends such as Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood were chatting in the living room when they entered.  
  
There was an instantaneous uproar the moment her fragile foot touched the soot-lined floor outside of The Burrow's fireplace.  
  
Neville and Luna were the first to jump from their respective seats and rush over. Luna hugged Hermione with such a force she felt as if her bones would crush under the pressure. Neville waited to say hello patiently with his arms around loosely around Luna's waist.  
  
"You two are finally together?" Hermione sighed with a dreamy smile on her lips.  
  
Neville nodded shyly, placing his head on his girlfriend's shoulder. "That's right. Luna and I have been together for about a month now."  
  
"And it's about bloody time!" Hermione heard from behind her. She whirled around to see Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, the ultimate Gryffindor bachelors.  
  
Seamus held up his butterbeer as a greeting and said "I should say the same for you and Ron. Congratulations," before taking a giant swig from the tankard.  
  
"Oh, the Patil twins said they're sorry they couldn't make it." Dean rubbed his head to signal his lack of memory. "Something about a last minute photo- op in Paris. That twin models thing is really going to get them places."  
  
"Like the backseat of your car?" Harry suggested, walking over with Ginny to join the conversation. Dean sniggered for a moment before stopping to say "Padma's already been there before, but I won't talk about that with ladies around."  
  
There was an all-round chuckle before Ginny said, "Speaking of the twins, I guess they're manager still managed to get here." She pointed across the room to a quickly approaching Lavender Brown.  
  
Seamus' eyes shifted back and forth before quickly stepping away from the group. "I'll see you later when she's gone." He walked away slowly, and Lavender rolled her eyes at him as he passed. Apparently, their quite open relationship during school ended on a sour note.  
  
Harry pulled Hermione over to the side a bit, and then signaled for Ginny to follow. "I want you to know something." He clasped Ginny's hand and it caused an infectious to spread through each member of the trio. "I'm moving out."  
  
"So you've finally decided to shack up with this one?" Hermione laughed, pointing at Ginny.  
  
"Oh yes," Harry said. He held Ginny a bit closer. "Hopefully, I'll never have to live with anybody else." Hermione smiled even brighter at the insinuation and threw a suggestive glance at Ginny.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The night carried on in such a fashion that left Hermione tired yet aching to see more people. So many faces flew by over the hours. All the Weasleys, Remus, Tonks, Albus Dumbledore, and the minister of magic himself, Cornelius Fudge. However, Ron was so busy making sure everything was perfect for her, that he barely got to see her.  
  
Hours upon hours later, the twigs cracked and crunched under Hermione's shoes as she ventured to the moonlit pond deep in the Weasley's backyard for a well deserved respite.  
  
She stared at the placid water and remembered a time only months ago when she though she was never going to see another day. Now she was well down her road to recovery and stood at The Burrow surrounded by all the people she loved most. She was home.  
  
"That crescent moon has you in a trance, huh?" An anxious male voice asked from behind her. She looked calmly over her shoulder to see Ron in a white muscle shirt and trousers. She hadn't even heard him come down from the house.  
  
Ron walked closer until he held her in a tight embrace. "I know you must be tired tonight. Thank you for being so patient with everybody."  
  
"I'm fine! Really!" she insisted. "I was enthralled to see everyone."  
  
. "I could tell, but I just walked to make sure you're okay."  
  
"So, has Harry told you the news?" Ron continued, trying to make sensible conversation. Hermione nodded vigorously. "I think it's lovely, but that also means we'll be living alone together. What do you think of it?"  
  
Ron let out a deep sigh. "He almost died for her. I couldn't have found somebody better for her if I tried myself. And as for living alone with you, I've been anticipating it. I'll take care of you."  
  
"We'll take care of each other." Hermione said, stressing equality. It was evident that she was the weakest yet the strongest of the unlikely pair.  
  
Ron stared at her with a mixture of love and amazement for a moment. His bright features were only intensified by the shine of every star.  
  
"Marry me?" He whispered brushing the brown locks out of her eyes so that he could stare into them. He didn't have a speech or a ring, but in that moment it didn't matter. They both knew that his words were sincere and his feelings were true.  
  
"Yes!" Hermione cheered, holding him as close as she could possibly get. Since she was a Hogwarts student, she had never dreamed of marrying anyone else.  
  
He backed away a bit and gave her the gentlest kiss possible, as if she would shatter like glass if he weren't careful, or as if the moment wasn't real.  
  
They stayed by the sparkling waters for what felt like hours. They were beckoned back by a mother's calls and a suggestion that they return home before it got too late.  
  
So Ron Wealsey and Hermione Granger walked back to the life they loved and would now spend together.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That's the entire story, ladies and gentlemen! Now that it's completely cone, what do you think all around? Was the story good? Was the ending too fluffy? I need your input! 


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